TV's Huell Howser dies at 67

Jan. 7, 2013

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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In this March 31, 2005, file photo provided by the Howser production company via KCET, television host Huell Howser poses for a photo at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancster, Calif. Howser, the homespun host of public television's popular "California's Gold" travelogues, has died at age 67. Howser died at his home Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, from natural causes, said Ayn Allen, corporate communications manager for KCET. AP Photo/KCET, Howser Production Company

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Huell Howser, best known for his show on public television, "California's Gold," visited Chapman University in October 2011. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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With a clip of his show on the screen behind him, Huell Howser, best known for his show on public television, "California's Gold," spoke to a broadcast news class at the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University in October 2011. MARK RIGHTMIRE, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Huell Howser at Yosemite Falls. COURTESY PHOTO

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Huell Howser climbs to the top of the Golden Gate Bridge. COURTESY PHOTO

In this March 31, 2005, file photo provided by the Howser production company via KCET, television host Huell Howser poses for a photo at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve in Lancster, Calif. Howser, the homespun host of public television's popular "California's Gold" travelogues, has died at age 67. Howser died at his home Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, from natural causes, said Ayn Allen, corporate communications manager for KCET. AP Photo/KCET, Howser Production Company

Huell Howser, the genial TV personality who took Californians on a three-decade tour of their state, died Sunday night at 67.

Howser was best known for the long-running series "California's Gold," which introduced viewers to places and people all over the state in its 18 seasons and 443 episodes. In November, Howser had announced that he would no longer produce the show amid reports that he was very ill. His company, Huell Howser Productions, made no announcement regarding his death, which was confirmed by the Riverside County coroner. Howser lived in Palm Springs.

"Huell Howser was a beloved California icon, a true original and a truly good man," Chapman University President James L. Doti said in a statement Monday. "It has been a real privilege in these past few years to become his friend and to share in his immense enthusiasm for life and for everything around him. He loved California so very much, and above all he loved people: their life stories, their interests, their passions. And, of course, people adored him with equal intensity."

In 2011, Howser donated all episodes of "California Gold" and his other shows to Chapman, which digitized them to make them available online. The university currently has an exhibit of Howser's artifacts and video footage on display on the main floor of the Leatherby Libraries.

The Tennessee native came to Los Angeles in 1981, where he joined KCBS/2 as a reporter. But it was in 1987, when he moved to then-PBS flagship KCET/28 and began a series called "Videolog" that he gained a special place in the hearts of Southern Californians.

"Videolog" introduced us to little known and often-offbeat people and places, but more significantly to the magic of Howser's style: a folksy, self-deprecating manner that sharply contrasted with the typically polished-but-distant demeanor of most TV reporters. He approached even the most innocuous sites with a sense of wonder and discovery, which made him a frequent target of parody but also made him one of the area's best-liked TV figures. His earnest but humorous style – aided by the still audible Tennessee accent – let him get away with things no one else could.

Howser eventually formed his own production company and went on to create a number of series with essentially the same format, most notably "California's Gold," produced through KCET, which launched in 1991 and ran for 18 seasons, with a couple of short breaks. The series was carried on PBS stations throughout the state. When KCET left the PBS network at the end of 2010, it hung onto to Howser's programs.

As Howser himself wrote on his website, "We operate on the premise that TV isn't brain surgery. People's stories are what it's all about. If you have a good story, it doesn't have to be overproduced. I want our stories to reveal the wonders of the human spirit and the richness of life in California, including its history, people, culture and natural wonders."

"We are saddened by the loss," KCET management said in a statement. "KCET.org will be launching a page later (Monday) where Huell fans can share their favorite memories of him."

Howser said in 2011 that he decided to donate his video archives to Chapman after he received a personal invitation from Doti to visit the campus. (The archive can be viewed at HuellHowserArchive.com.)

"It got me thinking about the legacy of my work and how I wanted it to become available to a wider audience," Howser said at the time. "After visiting the university several times, Chapman just felt like a very comfortable place for me and my work."

Howser also gave the university the "Volcano House," a Midcentury Modern domed structure located atop an ancient volcano in the Mojave Desert.

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